Brenda Yap

I've always thought I didn't like touchscreen mobile phones. The screen is too big; I will scratch it somehow and it will get oily. What if I drop the phone? What if the screen loses sensitivity, and there are no buttons as a back up? So I wrote them off.

About three to four months ago, my housemate got an iPhone 3G, and I fell in love! Everyday I sneaked into his room and messed around with his phone; I played Waterslide, TapTap, took pictures, surfed the internet and tons of other stuff. Super tak malu.

Two months ago when my birthday was approaching I asked my parents for an iPhone. It took a while of negotiating, but in the end we all paid one third each (actually I put in a bit less than one third, from birthday money I had saved up), and seriously, even though the phone has its flaws, I can seriously say I think it is one of the best, fun, yet professional phones in the market now.

While I'm no expert, the touch screen is super amazing. The sensitivity is great, I can't believe the amount of things I can do with it. I never really thought that a phone could only function with one physical button but the touch screen makes it possible.

Wifi is great, I love surfing the net from bed when my laptop is switched off, and checking the weather every morning with just a click. One gripe is that somehow my phone will not connect to a network automatically when it's not broadcasting, even though I have already saved the network configuration. I read online that some people have this problem and some don't, apparently it's kind of random...?

The app store is a bit annoying but it's easy enough to use. Oh, but I hate iTunes. It's so annoying and slow, and so is the app store on my phone. But the amount of applications and games available are overwhelming, you can keep track of your finances, shopping lists, to do lists.. There is even an application for a level (which has come in handy when I hung some stuff on my wall), and lots of random stuff. Some apps are seriously useless and some are pretty good. There are a ton of great games too, but if you play too much the battery starts to run out pretty quickly.

I even invested in a case that set me back quite a fair bit, the iSkin Solo FX, in red (actually I wanted blue but it was not in stock anywhere :( ) But I like red anyway, and this case is amazing! I think it looks great, and gives the phone great protection.

Anyway omg I'm so longwinded. When I started this post I basically wanted to say how I was so wrong when I thought I didn't like touchscreens and iPhones; I always thought they were such Mac fanboy things. I love my phone like crazy now, and although I am not an Apple fan, I love their iPods and now iPhones. I was thinking that I would get myself a Blackberry next year when I went home and started work, but here I am using an iPhone. Maybe I'm a little late jumping on the bandwagon, but I admit I was wrong.

A few years ago I signed up for horoscopes to be delivered to my email daily, but it's to my hotmail address, which I don't check regularly anymore. I've moved to gmail.

Anyway I checked it not long ago; and this is what my horoscope has been telling me for the past few days:

Tuesday, 20 OctYour internal discipline is generally quite strong -- which is a good thing, as you need to make use if it today! Something big is brewing, and you may have to push yourself hard to take care of it.

This is the day last week when I went out to buy materials to make a model. It took me a whole week to decide whether I wanted to make a model for my presentation next week, and I finally decided to do it. So I bought the stuff, went home, and got started.

Wednesday, 21 OctNow is the time for risk-taking -- but knowing you, you've looked at all the angles beforehand! Jump in and make the most of it, but remember that there's no such thing as perfect certainty.

Wednesday was day 2 of model making. I was still optimistic although the model was pretty massive in size and was starting to look a bit sketchy.

Saturday, 24 OctDon't be so hard on yourself! If you're regretting something that happened recently, the best you can do is to pick yourself up and try a different approach. Self-criticism isn't useful right now.

Today was the day I started regretting making a model. I started wondering if it was worth my time finishing the model, or if I should just scrap it altogether. But I had already put 2 and a half days of work into it by this stage, so I chugged on. I kept telling myself that when it was finished it would look better.

Sunday, 25 OctShow your friends that you're on their side today -- and make sure that everyone can see that you're doing so. It's a good time for obvious gestures and experiments with social issues.

By this time I had finished my model and had moved on to working on my presentation panels. A friend had issues with her computer so she came over to use mine.

I just find it somewhat freaky that horoscopes tend to have some truth in them. Sure I know that they're written in a way that is very broad, that can be applied to many contexts, but somehow can be rather accurate.

Try it out sometime; who knows, it may be true for you too. I subscribe to the one at Astrology. :)

2 days til I print my panels
4 days til the submission
12 days til my turn to present (yes I'm on the 2nd last day knnccb)
19 days til Brynna arrives in Melbourne
20 days til the opening of Index Exhibition (click)
1.5 months til the rest of my family gets here
Less than 2 months til graduation
2+ months til I'm going home

8 days to go til submission! I can't wait to get this over and done with.

I am so anxious for the list of presentation times to be released. There's about 40+ students, and about 8 people present in a day so it will take about 5-6 days to finish all the presentations.

And with my luck, it will be according to alphabetical order, and being a Yap, my slot will be on the last day.. -.- But who knows, hopefully it will be more random this time.. Last semester when I was still waiting for my turn to present one of my classmates had already finished on the first day and had gone home for holidays! -.- I'm damn suay right.

I think the Interior Design program at RMIT is incredibly hard and challenging. I don't know if it's because I'm a lightweight and, maybe I'm not meant for this field, I don't know. But what I can say is I've been working my ass off in this course, harder than I think I've had to work for a lot of things.

And I don't think it's just me; I see my friends and classmates struggling, unsure of what we're doing week after week, and even now, 2 weeks before submission, we are still plodding along taking it bit by bit.

But I've learnt a lot in my 3 years here. I've gotten really good with AutoCAD (I believe, at least from knowing nothing about it before!), and with my technical skills, which is something that I lacked incredibly in college. I can flip open a Francis DK Ching book and know exactly where everything is, and understand the details, which, 4 years ago, was still puzzling. I know standard measurements by heart. I've learnt about sustainable systems, which is something I will be taking home with me for sure.

And I've also had enough of people thinking that interior design is interior decorating, because it simply is not. It's much more than that, it's so difficult to explain, and too muhc to get into... but it is very closely related to architecture, and it's not fluffing pillows and picking paint colours.

In 3 weeks, I will no longer be an interior design student (if everything goes as planned lol. No, I shouldn't say that, choi!), I will be an interior designer. (Actually, I think I was already a qualified interior designer with my diploma, but never mind. I will be a better interior designer now.)

So if you're a student looking to pursue a bachelor's degree in interior design and you're looking for a challenge, sure, go and enrol at RMIT. It'll be hard, there'll be times you will curse and pull your hair out, there will be many sleepless nights, many frustrating moments with the printers and plotters, lots of money spent on materials and printing; but it will be worth it when you come out the other end.

Okay enough rambling. I have a section and roof plan to finish drawing.

I'm back from my uncle's house; Mel came over two days ago and helped me lug my luggage home in the rain, which was really sweet of her.

Yesterday was the last batch of presentations for our interims, so I went to have a look; after all, this is the last time I will sit through presentations - the next time I'm at a presentation, I will be waiting my turn and when that is done that's it! I am very excited about going home next year.

I've been having trouble sleeping lately - the day goes by so fast and everytime the night comes I'm super awake. Actually not just lately, it's been nearly a month now; ever since Wazir went home more than 3 weeks ago, I have been sleeping between 6-9am everyday, and I typically wake up at around 1-4pm or so. And for the past few weeks when I had classes, I was sleeping for only about 2 hours, then going to class, then coming back to nap.

I've also always been a day worker, not a night worker. I usually don't do any work past 10pm, it's just not condusive for me, although I know a lot of people work better at night. So for the past week I haven't done much work, needless to say. I've been to the pharmacy and they gave me some valerian vitamins which is supposed to cure insomnia but I don't think it has helped particularly... :(

Anyway.. Today is Brandon's birthday too, that little one is turning 3 today. I feel so bad for missing all 3 of the birthdays he's ever had but it's ok, da jie will be home next year ok? I don't want to miss any more moments. I miss my family. :(

Here's the cheeky boy a year ago after stuffing his face with doughnuts. This picture puts a smile on my face everytime.

And this is Wazir, Brynna, Brandon and I at my grandmother's house for Chinese New Year in January. I did not get to talk to Wazir very much because Brandon insisted on dragging Wazir everywhere he went.

Happy 3rd Birthday Brandon! Next year da jie will plan a party for you ok? Love and miss you lots!!

Here I am, at my uncle's house for a couple of nights. He's in New Zealand for a week or so, so I'm here to look after the place/hang out here because it's much more awesome than my own place. Seriously. There's an awesome view overlooking Crown and the Yarra. It's really beautiful and the house is great. As a student, using the 42" tv instead of my 15.4" laptop is a privilege, lol.

Shah and I even lugged my laundry here so I can save $10 dollars at my place. Do you know it costs me $3 to use the washer for only 24 minutes, and $1 for 15 minutes for the dryer at my place? It's ridiculous, and everytime Wazir and I do our laundry we spend about $17 or more in $1 coins. What a rip off.

I received some reasonable good feedback from my presentation and I've been pretty lazy ever since. I find it's the hardest to work after a presentation. Good feedback and I slack. Bad feedback I'm demotivated. It's never satisfying enough because there's always more work to do, more that could be added to make the project better.

Going to bake chocolate chip cookies tomorrow, the dough's already in the fridge and I'm going to pop it into the oven tomorrow. Thought I would do something for my uncle for letting me stay at his place and use his stuff. Plus everyone loves cookies and I do bake some great ones if I say so myself! :P I use this recipe I found online and I will put it sometime because it's really great. :)

Spoke to my old housemates Lynn and LY online earlier tonight and I miss them so much!!! We really had a good thing going on. Love you guys lots! I could not have asked for better housemates.

Looking back, I think Cenfad was one of the best times of my life. Well, of course I loved being a kid and being spoiled crazy by my parents; getting Polly Pockets and Barbie Dolls all the time and scolding my maid til she cried even though I was only 5 years old (I was horribly terribly spoiled and I'm so glad I am not that person anymore). Form 4&5 at Cempaka was great too; failing Physics and Chemistry for midsems and midterms when I had never failed anything in my life, and finally after great teachers, extra classes and tuitions I managed to rise above it. But my 11 years at Cempaka is a different story. :)

And now I am in Australia, I've been here for nearly 3 years and still I long to go back to those old times. Sure, the people there appear to be snobbish and stuck up, artsy fartsy people tend to do that; but the people at Cenfad were nice. Great friends, great tutors, laidback environment, and I learned so much there.

I learned that I was a spoiled private school kid, who could hardly understand a conversation in Malay even though I had studied the language for 10 years; that I could love someone so much more than I loved my ex; that I could make models and that I was a pretty good presenter, even though I was terrified of public speaking at school; that I could speak up and not be shy even though I was the most shy person before; that I was just a child even though I thought I was mature then.

I modelled a garment for the 2005 Icon Show exhibition because my classmate had to pull out. I was the worst model ever (short, all 5 feet 0 inches of me, and I think I was doing well until the actual walk when I got terrified seeing all the cameras flashing and all the people!). I made friends with people who were incredibly different from my usual friends (but of course I love you all still!), learned to speak Malay rather fluently if I say so myself. I was the baby of the bunch yet I landed the oldest guy for my boyfriend.

And a week ago, on the 4th of October, I realized that we have been together for 5 and a half years. (Can you believe that our first date was on 040404? Damn suay date right!) What an achievement. And I will forever be grateful to Cenfad for bringing me to Wazir - I don't think we would have crossed paths otherwise. We're of different ages, different habits, different lifestyles, different neighbourhoods.

Thanks Wazir for still standing by and loving me even though I whine and complain; even though (part of) my family is the most clingy and needy family ever (all girls ma); even though we are miles apart because of my decision to study overseas, and for coming to Australia even though it wasn't within your plan; for giving me support always even though I am the emo-est crybaby. I can go on forever but I won't... Lol.

I had a final presentation for my elective two days ago, and yesterday an interim presentation for my studio, so now I have about 3 weeks to edit and finalize everything, and then I'm done with university!

But it was such a blow when I finished my presentations and came home alone - Wazir and I usually go out and celebrate but this time here I am Skyping with him and watching SYTYCD with the cat on the bed. -.- Am I becoming a boring old cat lady...?

Funny thing - I thought when Wazir is not around I would be saving money; but I seem to spend just as much. I buy take out more often because it's too troublesome to cook for just myself, and my phone bills are getting ridiculous.